Gastro tour to VDNKh with cognac tasting for young logisticians

The young guys from the logistics company love to learn something new about Moscow - they have already been on various walking and thematic excursions, for example "Master and Margarita".

This time they went on a gastronomic tour with dinner at VDNKh. The guide was waiting for the guys at the entrance, where she briefly told them about the upcoming private tour. Then they went to the Friendship of Nations fountain, where the young men and women learned about the culinary traditions of the Soviet Union. After that, everyone went to "Armenia", where there are Armenian shops and cafes. There, the guide told the guests about national products, for example, about lavash, which became an intangible heritage of UNESCO in 2014. The excursionists got acquainted with some Armenian dishes that are presented in the cafe, in particular with the analogue of shawarma - brduch with baked chicken, cheese, herbs and matsoni, as well as baklava. Then the guests went on a short corporate tour to the hall with an exhibition dedicated to the history of the legendary Armenian drink. At the end there was a cognac tasting, where corporate excursionists tried three types: five-year-old, ten-year-old and cognac with added apricot puree. The girls liked the last option the most, because it is not so strong - only 30°. During the tasting, the Armenian guide told about the taste qualities of each of the cognacs, and how they differ from each other.

After that, the guests of the author's gastro tour went further. Together with the guide, they passed by the pavilion, which is currently being restored and will soon become the national pavilion of Uzbekistan. They stopped at the pavilion, which is called "Glavpirog", and there the guide told about Russian cuisine: pies, chicken pies, kulebyaki and wedding loaf.

Next, the guys went to the “Eastern Teahouse”, where they learned interesting facts about Russia’s influence on Central Asia. For example, in the 19th century, samovars appeared in teahouses, and such a teahouse was considered to have more status. The guests went inside and, taking off their shoes, sat down at the low tables that the guide had reserved for them. This is exactly how visitors always sat in a Central Asian teahouse. The guys deliberately chose not ordinary chairs, but an authentic option in order to feel the spirit of the real East.

And, of course, as in Central Asia, the guests started with tea. The guide told the tourists where tea came from in the East, what types of tea there are, that there are not only the usual black and green teas, which are usually associated with something sweet, but also salty ones. For example, the Kalmyk version of tea, where lard, butter, and milk were added, and it could be salted and peppered. Some even boil the tea by one third, and it becomes an absolutely dense consistency. Such tea could be considered a complete meal, which, apparently, was very convenient for the nomads.

After tea, the guys were served eggplant salad, which was a real hit, as well as two types of shashlik: chicken and basturma, beef shashlik. Interestingly, the shashlik was made by a man who has been doing this for 50 years - he is now 76. The guests were served several pieces of beef shashlik and several pieces of chicken shashlik on one plate. They liked both very much. The shashlik was not marinated beforehand, but it was juicy and soft - a sign of many years of skill. The shashlik was served with grilled vegetables, and there were also traditional flatbreads.

The guests arrived at the teahouse at eight o'clock. At this time, live music plays there every evening - the musicians play for half an hour, then rest for half an hour, and at 9 p.m. they start again. During the meal, which concludes the individual gastronomic tour, the guide helped pour tea and told about Central Asian dishes.